The invention relates to controls for an agricultural combine. Particularly, the invention relates to controls for traction, such as speed, braking and wheel drive engagement and for undertaking movements of the combine header, unloading auger, and separator.
Conventional agricultural combines include a header leading the combine, having a forward gathering portion and a feederhouse portion which contains elements for processing crop material and/or transferring the crop material from the gathering portion to the body of the combine. In the body of the combine, the grain is separated from the chaff and straw, collected, and thereafter unloaded via an auger. Such combines have a variety of designs as described for example in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,450,671; 4,663,921; 5,445,563; and 6,257,977.
The operator of a combine has to control and sequence many functions during the normal course of operation of the combine. Particularly, as the combine is harvesting a field, at the end of each row or xe2x80x9ccutxe2x80x9d many implements and controls on the combine need to be changed or adjusted. For example, as the combine approaches the end of the cut, the operator must push a button to raise the header, then he must push the hydrostatic transmission control handle in a forward direction to speed up the combine, and he must turn the steering wheel. The unloading auger must be swung inboard to avoid contact with external structures while turning. It is also possible that the operator needs to depress the brake pedal to get the combine to steer effectively or the operator may need to disengage the four wheel drive in order to move more quickly to the point of reentering the field again, at which time it may be desired to slow the combine while lowering the header, engaging the four wheel drive, etc. Because of the number of operations that are necessary simultaneously, a high degree of drive expertise is needed to orchestrate all of the adjustments and control changes.
The present invention provides a function management system that includes a programmable control unit which can automatically coordinate combine traction functions and/or implement functions.
The invention provides at the touch of a button, the ability to activate a series of functions for the combine. For example, as the combine approaches the end of a cut, at the touch of one end-of-cut button, the header can be raised, the unloading auger can be swung back to an inboard position for safe turning, the ground speed can be increased for rapid travel, the four wheel drive used during harvesting in the field can be disengaged, transmission gear ratio can be changed, and the crop-processing implement speed, such as a rotor speed for a rotary crop-processing unit, can be decreased. Another button can be touched to command the commencement of another sequence when the combine returns to the point of reentering the field.
According to one sequence, the machine would automatically slow to 2 kph as the header drops to the cut position, then as the machine enters the cut, the ground speed can be automatically increased to the maximum speed set by the operator, or to whatever maximum speed the combine can be operated, to maximize efficiency or to avoid overloading of the engine. The unloading auger may also automatically swing out for unloading grain as the combine is moving. The sequence of device operations can be pre-programmed or input by the operator in a learn mode.
According to another aspect of the invention, the combine steering could be automatically controlled by the function management system, especially between the end of one cut and the beginning of the next cut. The steering and combine direction could be corrected by a global positioning system in communication with the control unit.
According to a further aspect, during a xe2x80x9clearn mode,xe2x80x9d the operator can perform a sequence of manual manipulations of the traction and implement devices, and the control unit records and then stores information pertaining to the sequence of device operations. The sequence can be correlated with the distances traveled by the combine between operations. Upon subsequent activation of a button, the control unit can then commence an xe2x80x9cexecutexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9creplayxe2x80x9d mode, wherein the control unit automatically performs the recorded sequence of device operations. Preferably, the sequence of operations is performed at the same distance intervals at which they were learned, regardless of the speed of the vehicle.
Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings.